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Monday, 8 January 2018

Newsletter December
2017

Dear Friends,

Since our last newsletter, we have held our AGM for
2017 and elected the Secretariat. We will continue to send information from
Bristol Cursillo unless you request that you no longer wish to receive
newsletters as we are very keen to keep in touch with all 4th day
community. Those of us who have continued to attend Group Reunions continue to
find them very helpful and we would encourage you to think of trying to attend.
If you currently do not participate in a group reunion and would like to do so
please let Angelaknow so that we can arrange to make contact with others for
you.

This newsletter includes:

•The results of elections at the AGM

•Update on Group Reunions

•Bristol Anglican Cursillo finances

•National Conference and AGM

•Plans for Ultreyas in Bristolarea

•Advance notice of a garden party next
summer

Annual General Meeting

We
held our Annual General Meeting on 11th November 2017. The elections
confirmed the existing members of the secretariat in their posts as follows:

Lay
Director – Angela Smith

Treasurer
– Rachel Pound

Secretary
– Hilary Greene

Communications
Officer – Hilary Greene

BACC
representative – Tony Gardener.

Co-opted
member – Jean Beech

Rev
Alastair Davies remains as our Spiritual Director.

Update
on Group Reunions

We
are hoping to start a daytime reunion after Christmas in Chippenham so look out
for more news about this. Currently we have 2 groups established, one on
Mondays and one on Wednesdays, both in the evening. Please let us know if you
are interested in starting a new group nearer to you.

Bristol
Anglican Cursillo Finances

In
recent years we have had difficulty paying the annual subscription to BACC.
Earlier this year thesecretariat agreed to
the principle of donating regularly to support the finances of Bristol Cursillo
as part of their apostolic action. The subscription paid to BACC enables the
encouragement and support of new and existing Cursillo Dioceses, ensures
consistency in the use of the Cursillo method and promotes Cursillo nationally.
Since Angela has become Lay Director and Area Rep for the South West she has
benefited from contact with other Dioceses and is able to bring this experience
into Bristol Cursillo. Belonging to a national organisation like this is
beneficial for us and provides support to us, with links in to other Dioceses
and their activities. The secretariat therefore felt it worthwhile to support
the organisation financially. If you would like to make a donation, either one
–off or regularly, please contact Rachel.If you have access to internet
banking and wish to donate, the bank account details needed are as follows
-sort code 09-06-66, account number
40807758. Please do contact Rachel if you are able to gift aid your donation
and she will send you the relevant form.

Bristol
Anglican Cursillo has also recently registered with easyfundraising.org.If you shop on line via their website you can
raise money for Bristol Anglican Cursillo with no additional cost to yourself.You just register on easyfundraising.org
website and state the registered cause that you wish to support then when you
shop Bristol Anglican Cursillo (or another chosen cause) can benefit at no cost
to yourself.Even though we have only
recently registered we have already received more than £6 in donations – some
Cursillo areas have raised thousands of pounds in this way.If you require any help or further
information regarding this please contact Rachel, Hilary or Angela (details
below).If you can gift aid your
donations then more money can be raised.

Plans for 2018

We
are not currently planning a Cursillo weekend in Bristol Diocese but Oxford
Diocese are running a weekend in April 2018 and new Cursillistas from other
Diocese are able to attend.If we can
raise further funds not only can we support BACC in their work but we could
also sponsor new Cursillistas from our Diocese to attend a weekend.

The
Cursillo movement is based on prayer, study and action.Your Secretariat in the Bristol Diocese is
faithfully trying to grow closer to God by following this method and following
a rule of life.We try to encourage and
support all 4th day Cursillistas and other Christians on their faith
journey.If you feel that we can help in
any way please do contact us using the details below.

One
recent development is the compilation and sending out of the monthly email
prayer list. This has provided encouragement to those included on the list and
helped those receiving the list to focus prayer on those in our community who
have requested prayer support.Please do
let Angela know if you wish to be included on this list at any time.

National
Conference and Ultreya

This
is on 18-20 May 2018 in Swanwick, Derbyshire. Accommodation and bookings for
LDs, SDs and BACC reps are open until January 18th, after which they
will be made available to all.

News
from BACC

Currently
there is no link Bishop to the House of Bishops. It is hoped this can be
addressed very soon.

A
Cursillo promotional film is being made and will be available at the May 18
National Conference.

Plans
for Ultreyas in 2018

Angela
attended a guided Ultreya in the Oxford Diocese earlier this year. This enables
those who are unfamiliar with Cursillo to be guided through the service. We
hope to hold some guided Ultreyas in the Bristol Diocese, perhaps one in
Gauzebrook, one in Draycot (both in North Wiltshire) and possibly one in
Bradford-on-Avon. We would also like to hold Ultreyas in Cricklade (so that
people from Oxford could attend), Dursley (hoping for Gloucester Cursillistas
to attend) and one in Bristol. Further information to follow.